Granulation typically involves combining multiple smaller particles with one another to form a larger particle, or granule. This process may be referred to as particle size enlargement or agglomeration. Granulation may be used to form particles having improved bulk density and/or hardness or to form particles having a modified shape. The smaller particles may be bonded to one another during the granulation process to form the granule. The smaller particles may be bonded by compression and/or using a bonding agent.
When different materials having dissimilar particle sizes are blended with one another, there may be a tendency for segregation of the mixture. For example, the smaller and/or more dense particles may tend to move toward the bottom of the container or vessel, while the larger and/or less dense particles may tend to move toward the top of the container or vessel. The particle size of one or more of the materials may be adjusted by granulation so that the particle sizes of the different materials become similar. Upon blending the different materials with similar particle sizes, the tendency for the mixture to segregate may be reduced.
Materials having particularly small particle sizes and/or irregular shaped particles may not flow well, which may make it difficult to transport and/or store the materials. Using granulation, the particle size of the materials may be increased and/or the shape of the particles may be modified to simplify transportation and/or storage of the materials.